It’ll take more than a pair of subpar performances to deter LSU sophomore forward Jarell Martin.
After entering Southeastern Conference play as the league’s leading scorer, Martin, who chose to return to LSU rather than bolt for the NBA following his freshman campaign, has struggled to maintain his early-season dominance.
Martin has totaled 16 points on 30 percent (6-of-20) shooting since the Tigers flipped their calendar to SEC action two games ago. Those figures are a far cry from Martin’s play during LSU’s 11-2 non-conference slate, when he shot better than 50 percent from the floor and scored 18.2 points a game.
But Martin said he knew scoring would be a more difficult task once SEC play commenced, and as long as he doesn’t cost his team any wins, he’s not too concerned with how his numbers appear on the surface.
“I try not to let it get to me,” Martin said. “I’m a team player, so I just try to find ways for us to win the game. For me not to play like I had been playing before the conference [season began], I just have to find ways to impact it.”
But Martin’s struggles aren’t solely the result of poor play from the preseason All-SEC forward. After studying film of the Tigers’ 13 non-conference games, SEC coaches have thrown double and sometimes triple-teams Martin’s way, limiting the clean looks and touches he gets at the basket.
“Defenders are all on him,” said LSU sophomore guard and Martin’s roommate Tim Quarterman. “They’re sending two or three guys at him. But him being unselfish and giving the ball up to us to make plays just shows what type of guy and player he is because he could also force shots. But that’s not him.”
Martin’s unselfishness has stood out to LSU coach Johnny Jones, who praised him for remaining focused on the team’s goals rather than his individual numbers.
“The thing that I admire about him is he doesn’t caught up in how other people are defending him,” Jones said. “What he’s trying to do is make sure he makes the right plays. That may be a pass that leads to a basket or the pass that leads to another pass that leads to a basket.”
LSU ranks second in the SEC in assists per game and trails only Arkansas and No. 1 Kentucky in points. Junior guard Keith Hornsby said a big reason for the offensive efficiency is because of the attention that Martin continuously draws on the court, even when he isn’t lighting up the scoreboard.
“[Martin’s] almost like a further distraction for the other team that makes the other guys on the court able to make plays,” Hornsby said. “It’s just two games in, and the defense has keyed a lot on him. But he’ll find a way to get back in the swing of things. We know he can score on any given night.”
But Martin doesn’t expect to be down on the stat sheet for long. After deciding to return for a second season in his native Baton Rouge, the versatile forward said he logged countless hours in the offseason honing his game, sometimes training three times a day.
LSU junior guard Josh Gray, who has experienced his own share of shortcomings this season, said he has repeatedly told Martin the work will pay off if he keeps at it.
“I just tell him to stay in the gym, stay committed to your craft and the grind and trust your work,” Gray said. “At the end of the day, the work you’re putting in will not cheat you. It’s all going to pay off one day. Don’t give up, stay positive, continue working on your craft, and things will get better.”
Fortunately for Martin, the Tigers’ prowess from beyond the arc against Georgia on Jan. 10 may open things up for the 6-foot-10 matchup nightmare. Against the Bulldogs, LSU drained a season-high 11 3-pointers.
Martin’s next chance to return to early-season form will be against Ole Miss at 6 p.m. tonight at Tad Smith Coliseum. If the Tigers can continue hitting from deep, Martin said the inside game will open back up.
“It’s been very hard trying to score when guys are double-teaming me,” Martin said. “If we can get our guards to contribute and knock down shots like they’ve been, when they throw the ball inside, we can get it back out for them to hit shots, and that’ll open things up for us down in the post.”